February 2, 2003	Sunday	Ziqa’ad 29, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: British Secretary of State for Overseas Development Clare Short is scheduled to arrive here on Feb 17, to assess increased financial support for Pakistan.

Official sources told Dawn here on Saturday that an advance team would be reaching Islamabad next week to discuss with the officials of finance ministry and Economic Affairs Division (EAD) the new up-lift programme to be finalised during the Ms Short’s two-day visit.

She is scheduled to meet the president; the prime minister; the adviser on finance; ministers for commerce, education, health and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.

The British secretary of state, sources said, would also meet politicians including those of PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. The government is also arranging her meetings with Nazims and Naib Nazims of some major districts.

Britain had announced 65 million Pounds grant in 2002, for Pakistan.

The United Kingdom government had also converted its $70 million loans into social sector funding, specially for health and education.

The sources said that they were expecting additional budgetary support from Britain, and the matter would be finalised during the Ms Short’s meeting with Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance Shaukat Aziz.

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